By Davida Spaine-Solomon

Freetown, 6th October 2026- Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health is shifting from relying primarily on periodic health surveys to using real-time data to identify and respond to preventable maternal and child deaths, as the government intensifies efforts to achieve its “Triple Zero” targets.

Speaking at a special town hall marking the 300 Days of Activism for Triple Zero, held under the theme “Achieving Triple Zero Together – Progress, Challenges and Next Steps,” at the Miatta Civic Centre, Deputy Minister of Health 2 Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha said the new approach would allow health authorities to investigate deaths as they occur and take immediate action to prevent similar cases.

The Triple Zero campaign seeks to achieve zero preventable maternal deaths, zero preventable child deaths and zero children without birth registration.

Dr. Mustapha said the campaign was driven by the progress Sierra Leone has made in reducing maternal mortality over the past decade, but also by the need to address the preventable deaths that remain.

She said Sierra Leone had historically recorded one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, with women dying from complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth.

According to the minister, the country recorded a 70 percent reduction in maternal deaths over a six- to seven-year period, following investments by government and its partners in the health sector.

She said the progress prompted President Julius Maada Bio to ask why the country could not aim for zero preventable maternal deaths.

“Every woman’s life matters,” Dr. Mustapha said, explaining that the President subsequently mandated the Ministry of Health to pursue zero preventable maternal deaths.

The minister said achieving the target would require a shift from treating maternal and child health as the responsibility of the Ministry of Health alone.

She said the Triple Zero campaign brings together government institutions, including the Ministries of Information and Gender and Children’s Affairs, communities, health workers, development partners and the private sector to identify and address the factors contributing to preventable deaths and lack of birth registration.

From five-year data to weekly action

Dr. Mustapha said one of the major changes under the campaign is the use of real-time data to guide decision-making.

She noted that the Demographic and Health Survey is conducted every five years, raising concerns about the usefulness of relying on outdated data to respond to current health challenges.

“How can we use data that is five years old to make decisions about what is happening today?” she asked.

Under the new approach, she said the Ministry reviews cases every week, including maternal and child deaths and cases involving children without the required birth documentation.

Health authorities examine each case to establish what happened, what contributed to the outcome, whether it could have been prevented and what action is required to prevent a recurrence.

The information is then fed into a dashboard for monitoring, with the minister saying the data is publicly accessible.

According to Dr. Mustapha, a maternal or child death triggers action at national and district levels, with district teams expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case and identify corrective measures.

She said the approach was intended to ensure that government does not wait until the end of the year to review health outcomes and formulate responses.

“If something happens this week, we discuss it this week,” she said, explaining that cases are assessed by the end of the week, action points agreed upon and implementation reviewed in subsequent days.

The minister said the system was designed to move Sierra Leone from “waiting for old data to tell us what happened” to using current information to identify problems, respond quickly and prevent avoidable deaths.

A government-wide responsibility

Dr. Mustapha stressed that achieving Triple Zero would require more than improvements within hospitals.

She said the campaign would examine the wider health system and the social and administrative factors affecting maternal and child survival, including access to health services, quality of care and birth registration.

The government’s stated goal is to use the 300-day campaign to identify gaps, implement solutions and strengthen accountability across the health system in pursuit of zero preventable maternal deaths, zero preventable child deaths and zero children without birth registration.